The Badger vs The Pride
by Fallen heavens
Summary: With the War now over, the British Wizarding world felt that the population could finally be at ease. Though a new evil now threatens their new found peace. Follow the tale of the next generation of wizards and witches, as they fight not only their new enemy, but also amongst themselves. (OC centered)
1. Chapter 1

**Prolouge**

Mr. and Mr. Williams's story was one of love at first sight. If you believe in such things. The two met while both were still in university, Charles was an english gentleman by blood, growing up in a stately manor in Oxfordshire. He was at the university studying Art History, as his family was an old one and made their fortune as art dealers. As the soon to be head of his family's business, Charles took his education very seriously. So it was a surprise to him when he arrived at the library one morning to find the book he needed to review for his final was not in its proper place.

The librarian told him the book had not been checked out, meaning it must have been misplaced during the discourse during finals week. This annoyed Charles deeply, he was in need of that specific book, and he was dead set on locating it, even if he needed to stay there all day. His determination was cut short, as he located the book fifteen minutes later. Sadly it was being used as a pillow by another student.

Charles was affronted by how the book was being treated, he was tempted to simply snatch the book away from the other student. As Charles was about to do just that, the sleeping student shifted enough for the Brit to get a good look at his face. Black curls that framed a well tanned and well chiseled face. Long black eyelashes that fluttered as the other man shifted in his sleep, soft dark lips that parted in incoherent sleep talk.

Charles stared for a moment before composing himself once more. Growing up he knew he would never have interest in females, Though he never taken interest in any other man before, Charles simply wanted to focus on his studies. Though now, he felt a pounding in his heart. One that he had never felt before. He didn't even know this other student's name, but yet he wanted to know what his favorite food was, favorite film, and color. What made him laugh and how he could achieve it. Charles wanted to know about his hope, dreams and fears. Everything!

He mentally paused for moment, almost laughing at himself; a pretty face has rendered him into a sentimental mess. The ancients spoke of great beauty, the kind that could bring entire kingdoms to their knees. Charles found that entire idea completely ridiculous, till now. He shifted uncomfortable, torn between waking this beauty and actually talking to him or abandoning the book and possible never see this man again.

He instantly dismissed the thought; determined to know this beautiful man at any cost but having no experience in the field of flirting, Charles was at a dead end.

Lucas was in London for an abroad program studying business and advertisement. He came from a long line of migrant farmers in America and was the first in his family to seek higher education. While much of his family supported his efforts, Lucas couldn't help but feel like he was still disappointing them. He still hid his sexuality from a majority of his family members. While his mother and sisters were aware, his father was not.

So when the opportunity to study abroad was brought to the attention of Lucas, he jumped at the chance. Seeing it, not only as new way to receive an education, but as away to be able to live freely without the judgement of his father being hung over his shoulders.

It was at the end of his first semester at his new university in London, while Lucas was enthralled at the new culture he as able to be exposed to, he found himself becoming a shut in during the final two weeks of the semester. The weight of how much studying he had, had him camping out almost every night in the school's library. Living off, pizza and snacks he bought from the libraries snack machine. Even though he spent so much time studying for his business final, he still found it challenging to understand the course materials. With over 5 textbooks spread out over his worktable, Lucas found his eyes drifting to a close, and he did not fight it.

When Lucas next woke he was surprised to feel the warmth of the sun hitting his face, a beam of sunlight had peaked through what was thought to be a permanent overcast of clouds. He stretched his muscles like a cat waking from a nap, rubbing his eyes trying to get the crust away. As he reached to pick up where he left off, Lucas was thrown off by a foreign hot object brushing against his fingers. Looking down he saw a large paper cup of black coffee, with some packets of sweetener and creamers on a napkin next to two scones. Lucas looked around for another student who may have been setting up their study area at his table. Though the only other person in the library was another man about three tables down. To exhausted and hungry to question any further, Lucas quickly guzzled down the coffee and wolfed down the scones.

Lucas rose to throw away the trash till he found scrawled writing on the napkin. The writing was small, but neatly written, a sort of elegance and grace was expressed in the handwriting.

' _I couldn't help but notice you were studying for Business 4. I studied that last semester, If you like I could possibly help you study? ;) xxx-xxx-xxxx'_

The rest is history; Lucas took up the stranger's offer for help, setting up a couple study sessions. Charles was of course ecstatic that Lucas accepted his offer. Even after their finals came and went, Charles and Lucas kept making up excuses to see each other more often. Half way through their second semester they finally decided they were together. Much to the delight of their friends, all of whom feared that the two were too dense to ever figure it out. When Lucas had to go back to the states, Charles fell into a small period depression, fearing the two of them would grow apart because of the distance. Lucas surprised Charles, during one of their video calls one night, with the announcement that he was applying for a British citizenship so the two of them could be together once more.

Three years later the two of them got married in a small church in the english countryside. Surrounded by loved ones, sadly Lucas's father had refused to go to his son's wedding, A few months after, Lucas's mother divorced his father, due to the fact that his father would not allow any family member to even mention Lucas's name.

After the wedding Lucas got hired at an advertising firm in London. While Charles worked from his studio in their flat, selling his paintings and having them displayed in galleries. While from outside these two seemed like the picture perfect couple, Charles and Lucas couldn't help but feel like something was missing from their lives. It wasn't till after getting a call from his sister Lupe about his new nephew, did Lucas and Charles finally realize what they were missing.

They were missing a baby.

 **A/N Hi everyone! This story has been something I have been wanting to write for quite awhile, and thanks to Sowelo, a great friend, I have finally gotten around to writing it.**

 **Be sure to comment what you think, so I know where to improve, or simply to say hello. There is another Chapter going up right after this one so be sure to keep reading!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 1 June 8, 2017**

Not for the first time, Daniel found himself in a pickle. All of the boys and girls were bustling around giggling and chatting. It was their last day of school, and as a reward for making it through the school year. The school reward their students with a party to the city's public pool. All the young children were tired after their fun day, many were making plans to hang out over the summer, others were excitedly gloating where their families were planning on traveling to over the summer months.

Though Daniel was not a part of the schoolyard chatter. The young ten year old was standing on the outskirts of these large groups of children, clutching his neatly folded beach towel to his chest. The curly black haired boy did not take part of the festivities that afternoon. Daniel was a lonely child, he did not have many good friends his own age, instead of running through the grass and getting skinned knees like the other children, Daniel Williams prefered to sit in the air conditioned library during his breaks.

While all of the other children were splashing away in the pool, Daniel was sitting off to the side, towel still folded neatly. It's not that the other children were cruel to him, quite the opposite,the other children were kind and tried to invite Daniel into their games. Though every time Daniel declined, claiming a stomach ache, or some other excuse. The poor boy just didn't feel like he fit in with any of the children. He had tried joining in on their games though every time he did, he always ended up back on the sidelines, feeling even more distant than he had previously.

"Daniel," said a teacher who came to see how the lonely child was doing. "I couldn't help but see you didn't swim at all today,"

"I didn't feel like it," Daniel quietly responded.

"The other kids wanted you to play with the." the teacher continued.

"Only cause you kept telling them to invite me to play," Daniel snapped with a glare. While other teachers came to accept that Daniel was more comfortable alone, this one couldn't seem to let him be. She took every opportunity to direct children in Daniels direction. If she found Daniel reading in the library during lunch, she would push him outside, only to find him later on, in a shaded corner behind a building.

The teacher was about to reply when a car honked twice cutting her off.

"My dads are here," said Daniel, gathering his belongings and walking to the car. After he buckled his seatbelt, he watched the teacher huff in annoyance as they drove away out of the parking lot.

"So Dan how did school go?" Lucas asked his son, smiling at him through the rear view mirror. Lucas had aged quite well, looking a few years younger than his current age of forty. His hair still curly and thick, though a few strands of gray stood out. His chiseled face had gained some fat over the years, though his scruffy beard hid some of his aging. If someone had met Daniel and only Lucas, one could be tricked into thinking Lucas was his birth father.

"Fine, I gave those sweets to Ms. Hoffman,"

"That was nice of you to want to give the librarian something sweetie," responded Charles. The Brit, like his husband, had aged like fine wine. He has gained a slight pudge since college but his hair was still a bright blonde, and styled perfectly. Crows feet and smile lines had formed but the flaws had given the man character.

"Yeah, I guess," shrugged Daniel head resting on the window, watching the buildings and other cars pass by. Charles glanced in the mirror, smile falling when he saw his son's forlorn expression. He sighed softly, he and his husband knew Daniel had trouble making friends at school and they had tried everything. They enrolled Daniel in sports, they signed him up for boy scouts, even sending their boy to therapists. Still there was no change.

"We have news sweetie," said Charles as he turned in seat so he could talk to his son. "Your grandmother Edith had bad fall,"

"Is Grandmother Edith alright?" asked Daniel. Edith was an old fashioned, war hardened woman. Though she had a soft spot for her only grandchild, she didn't care that Daniel was adopted, she spoiled him like any loving Grandmother would. Though due to her age, she hadn't been able to visit California in a while.

"The doctors say she will be fine, but we need to move back to my old home in Oxfordshire. She will need some help getting around from now on," Charles explained.

"I don't see why we can't just hire a stay at home nurse." Lucas rolled his eyes playfully.

"You know my mother would just drive them crazy," Charles quipped back.

"She drives me crazy," muttered Lucas.

Seeing the sour expression on Charles, Lucas flashed his husband a cheeky smile.

"Sounds like fun, Father," Daniel answered breaking up their banter. "I don't remember what England was like, so it will be fun to go back."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 2 June 29**

Three weeks later, the Williams family were on a flight to London. Lucas of course, had to pull major over time at his job, moving the center of his firm to London, so he could manage it. There was also some heartfelt goodbyes from his mother and siblings. All of which were saddened that once again Lucas was moving so very far away.

Charles had to arrange the flight and the shipping of their belongings as well as having all of their paperwork and passports in order. Daniel helped his father in any way that he could, from keeping track of all the papers, to trying to do some heavy lifting when the movers came by to collect their stuff.

A long flight later, the family was driving behind the moving trucks on their way to Grandmother Edith's estate. While Lucas and Charles squabbled over who would drive the rental car, Daniel people watched. He found it fun to make up stories about the people who they passed. The man in a suit, that chatted on the phone was a shriek and he was dealing with patient that saw dancing pink elephants everywhere he went. The patient would call at all hours of the day, nearly driving the shriek crazy himself. The teenage girl dressed in all black was a model but secretly a vampire, that's why she need the black laced umbella.

Soon after the family were on their way, Daniel watched as the tall skyscrapers of the city turned into the rolling hills and farms of the English countryside. He half listened to his dads as they squabbled after losing sight of the moving trucks.

Daniel was actually looking forward to the move. It was a chance to see things he couldn't remember seeing. The chance to start over. A place where there were no other kids to make him feel isolated, where he could be alone in peace. Charles had told his son about the estate, how it was far off from the neighboring villages, the only neighbors were an older couple in a manor up the hill. The estates included a small forest and creek over a couple of acres, and Daniel was looking forward to the whole summer of exploring the ancient manor.

After a small nap, Daniel woke to the sound of the tires of the rental car crunching over the gravel driveway. The trees marking the driveway were immaculate, not a branch out of place, the gravel did not have one weed poking through the rocks.

"We're here Danny," said Lucas opening his son's door. The manor was a large building made out of tan masonry with ivy vines stretched over the walls. The many glass windows were clean and clear as they gleamed in the late afternoon sunlight. Daniel swore he could make out the silhouettes of each maid and butler that scurried around.

The front doors opened with a loud groan as a butler with greying brown hair walked out and down the front steps. "Master Charles, Master Lucas and Young Master Daniel. It is good to see that you all have arrived. " greeted the man; his suit was pressed perfectly, no spec of dust or lint dirtied the dark material.

"Frederick it has been too long," Charles embraced the man and Lucas in turn gave him a firm handshake.

"Your mother has been on pins and needles awaiting your arrival." said Fredrick. "Follow me, she has taken to having her lunch in the back patio."

"Shouldn't we tell the movers where to put our stuff?" inquired Lucas, looking back at the waiting workers.

"Nonsense," Frederick clapped his hands, three maids and three servants quickly rushed out the front door and began to direct the movers inside. "They will be well directed under those six. Let us be on our way, you know how your mother does not like to be kept waiting."

Daniel followed the other men, his backpack hung over one shoulder. The walls of the manor were tall, and decorated in old paintings; most that the Williams family had collected over their long history. The family crest of two hawks holding up the sun was hung on a tapestry over the massive fireplace in the entryway.

Frederick led them through the maze of hallways, before finally arriving at the back of the manor. The back porch looked over the mass garden of flowers, the plants were ranged from every color of the rainbow and were placed in beautiful arrangements.

"Mother," Charles smiled happily announcing their arrival. Edith was sitting in a wheelchair a maid standing off to the side as she ate her lunch. Edith smiled wide seeing the men's arrival. While her body showed her age, her eyes were those of a woman thirty years younger. "It is so good to see you Mother," said Charles as he embraced her.

"My son you have finally come to visit your old mother," proclaimed Edith, taking a look at her son. "And Lucas," Lucas walked over and hugged the old woman as well.

"It has been too long Edith," smiled Lucas kissing the old woman's forehead.

"Hello Grandmother Edith," greeted Daniel embracing her. The old woman squeezed her grandson, taking him by the chin and giving him a once over. "Charles are you starving this poor boy!"

Charles and Lucas jumped back in surprise, Lucas going so far as to hide behind his husband. "Mother we can assure you we feed our Daniel regularly." replied Charles.

"Sometimes Father and Dad are in such a hurry in the morning, they send me to school with just a pop tart," sniffed Daniel, purposefully looked down at the ground, shuffling his feet.

"Don't worry Daniel, grandmother will make sure you have proper meals while you live here," Edith ruffled Daniel's hair pulling some chocolate from the side of her wheelchair. Daniel happily accepted,

"Traitor." Lucas hissed at his son, still hiding behind his husband.

The next few days were spent getting their belongings sorted into their rooms; Daniel got his things sorted out easily, finding himself with more free time he found himself exploring the estate. The ancient building held many secrets, and the servants were more than happy to point out things they thought would interest Daniel. During the first month he found some old jewelry, a hidden passageway from the main manor to the front gate, even an old pocket watch.

While it was fun for Daniel to explore, he could not shake the odd feeling that there was something following him everytime he went outside. Everytime he went off to explore the neighboring forest and creek, he jumped at every snap of a branch, or crinkle of leaves. He screeched whenever he would kick a rock across the ground, only for it to fly back a few moments later.

Finally he grew tired of hiding in fear. The next time Daniel traversed around the grounds, he crept around every corner, a toy water gun in hand. He hid behind bushes, ducked under archways, even going so far as to hide in a fountain. After almost an hour of this game of cat and mouse, Daniel finally catches a glimpse of what he assumed was another child. Which perplexed him, as there were no other children living on the estate. He gave chase, sprinting to keep up with the shadow.

As he ran he swore he caught the sound of ecstatic giggles.

Daniel slowed down at the front driveway, out of breath and sweating in the summer heat. He looked around, no longer seeing the shadow he had been chasing, and the only sounds he heard were the bustling of the servants making the day's lunch. _It's probably some stray cat,_ he thought bitterly, _Frederick said Grandmother kept them around to catch the field mice._ Daniel had seen the cats a couple of times in the first weeks he had been at the manor. H turned to go back inside, wanting to get out the sun.

Though his path was blocked by a gap toothed, girl.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 3: July 10th**

"HI THERE!" The girl shouted eagerly.

Daniel screamed in fright falling onto his bottom and dropped his water gun.

"Wow you scare really easy! You were taking so long to find me, I thought. 'Daisy I don't think this boy knows how to play hide and seek. Maybe he thinks he's supposed to be the one hiding!'So that's why I came out of my hiding spot!"

"Daisy!" A woman's voice called from down the pathway. Daniel and the girl, Daisy, both watched as a woman and another young girl walked up the gravel driveway. As the woman walked up Daniel took that moment to get a good look at the two younger girls. They both had the same dark skin; the older girl had longer wavy black hair, while Daisy had a mess of tight curls, barely contained into two low pigtails.

The woman, who Daniel assumed to be their mother, was not dark skinned like her children. Instead she was fair complected, with wavy hair like her older daughter, though a lighter shade of brown. She was a shorter plumper woman, standing only a foot taller than her older daughter, who carried her mother's briefcase.

"Daisy if I have told you once I have told you a thousand times, if you want to play hide and seek, make sure the other kids know you're hiding." The mother playfully scolded Daisy, who just nodded.

"I apologize about Daisy," The mother helped Daniel stand, brushing him off. "She's a free spirit that one,"

"Is everything alright out here Daniel?" Charles and Lucas had hurried outside when they heard their son screech a few minutes before.

"Everything is alright, my Daisy just got excited at the idea of making a new friend," the mother held her hand out and shook Lucas and Charles hands. "Sarah Barkley, and these are my daughters, Holly," The older girl curtsied with a smile. "And Daisy."

"HI!" Daisy shouted waving ecstatically.

"I'm sorry I didn't know Edith was having visitors." Sarah apologized.

"Told you we should have called ahead Mother," spoke up Holly.

"No need Sarah," the large group looked up the steps to see Edith in her wheelchair. "Your family is always welcome in my home, no need to call ahead." Frederick announced that he had foreseen this situation and had lunch prepared for them all in the dining room. "Come," he insisted, " we should all get out of the dreadful summer sun."

"You see, since I found myself no longer able to visit you three in America, Sarah has come over whenever she could to keep me company." Edith explained as they all ate their sandwiches the cook had prepared. "Of course she brought her darling daughters along, their energy is what keeps me feeling young."

Daisy and Holly were running around outside as they spoke, while Daniel sat on the steps watching.

"After the Misses fall I called Mrs. Barkley in hopes that she could recommend a good physical therapist to help your mother walk once more," explained Frederick.

"I was more than happy to take the responsibility." said Sarah.

"We thank you greatly for that," responded Charles. "Though you and your children walked here?"

"Isn't the nearest town miles away?" inquired Lucas.

"Sarah married the Barkley's boy from up the hill, remember him Charles?" Edith asked her son.

"Oh yes I remember! I believe his name was Jonathan. Never talked to him much growing up, his family sent him to a boarding school during the school months, and he spent the summer with his friends from that school."

"Yes that is my John. I'm afraid he is rather busy these next two months. You see he is a professor at the girls school, so he is busy making his lesson plan for the next school year."

"Quite alright dear," their conversation was cut off briefly by the squeals and giggles of the children outside. It seemed the sprinklers had turned on while they all chased each other, though that did not stop their game. In fact it seemed to make the game even more fun.

Charles and Lucas gawked at the sight of Daniel actually playing with the other girls, smiling wider than they had seen in a very long time. Daniel chased after Holly, slipping on a patch of wet grass that sent him sliding across the yard, giggling madly, his smile a mile wide.

"It seems our kids hit it off," Sarah laughed at her girls. "If you like I could bring the girls over more often, they get quite bored playing at our estate with only each other,"

"I think that is a splendid idea" Lucas grinned.

"Who knows, maybe this is the start of a great friendship between them,"


End file.
